Poor, Neglected Ukulele August 28, 2008
Posted by Tracy Gullett in Saving, Sports & Hobbies.1 comment so far
You may recall our 5-year-old’s purchase of a ukulele back in early July. M was very proud to put her $54 in cash on the counter and take home her new instrument. She had visions of taking lessons like her sister, G, does for her electric guitar. M had saved up her commission money, achieved her goal, and was very satisfied with herself. But before she could sign up for lessons (for which her parents would pay), her dad (that’s me!) gave her one requirement. She had to work with her sister to learn to play one simple song. Once she played that song for her dad, the lessons would be arranged.
Here we are, nearly two months later, and I haven’t heard my song yet. The ukulele has been taken out of its case, maybe, half a dozen times, and always for a very short duration. On the other hand, the electric keyboard I bought when I was about 11 or 12 years old has been getting plenty of playing time. M announced recently that she would like to take piano lessons. Given the choice between lessons on the ukulele versus the piano, she wants to take the piano lessons.
The seemingly wasted ukulele purchase doesn’t bother me. It was her money. She set a goal, worked toward it, and achieved it. The fact that the goal wasn’t quite as interesting as she thought it might be doesn’t take away from the fact that she achieved it. I always thought that the ukulele was just something she wanted to have to be like her sister. It actually makes me feel good that she is showing some independence by wanting to play piano, something in which her sister has never shown interest. Besides, I’m interested in learning to play guitar, so I’m thinking I can borrow the ukulele to get started. 
If I would have laid out the cash for the ukulele, I’d be irritated that she hasn’t even given it much of a chance. I’d be on her case to practice, have her signed up for lessons, and would generally drive her to hate it. Not fun. But since it was her money and her decision, it eases the pressure from me. Who knows – she may eventually decide to play it some more when she’s ready. In the meantime, we’ll try piano lessons.
Discipline with Gift Cards August 24, 2008
Posted by Tracy Gullett in Responsibility, Spending, Sports & Hobbies.add a comment
G didn’t have a birthday party this summer, so before school starts next week, her mom helped plan an afternoon outing with a few of her friends to play mini-golf and have some pizza. Even though we tried to make it clear that G didn’t need any gifts, a couple of the girls figured this was her birthday celebration and brought her some nice presents anyway.
One gift was a $15 gift certificate to a sporting goods store. G is a bit of a tomboy, in that she absolutely refuses to wear dresses, she wants to be a race car driver, and her main savings goal is to buy a Chevy Avalanche when she turns 16. With that in mind, a sporting goods gift certificate is a pretty thoughtful gift for our 9-year-old girl.
We went shopping tonight to give G a chance to spend her gift card. She decided not to take her spending money along, since she has been working so hard to accumulate it for that Nintendo DS (I still haven’t been able to talk her out of it). She is planning to sign up for volleyball this Fall, so she wanted to use the gift card to buy a nice, new volleyball. When we looked through the store, however, the least expensive ball they had was priced at $19.99. Had she brought her spending money with her, we would have had no problem with her adding five or six bucks of her own money to the gift card so she could buy the ball. Since she didn’t bring her cash – a wise move to keep her from spending more than she intended – what do you think she did?
Nope – wrong-o!
She didn’t even ask us. I don’t think it even occurred to her. She’s gotten used to the way things work in our family. Mom and Dad cover necessities and the occasional treat, and things the kids want, they buy with money they earn. I can’t say this happens every time. Once in a while, they want something so bad that they have to at least ask the question. But “no” means “no” and we very seldom hear any begging.
So, the volleyball gets put off to a later time. We know they’re sold for a lower price at other stores. And besides, Mom and Dad might spring for a new volleyball eventually. We haven’t even been asked yet. It was her idea to buy it herself.
Surveying the store, G found a shirt that she liked pretty well and could afford to buy with the card. But then she found something that she was actually excited about buying – and could afford to buy with the card. She decided to go with some accessories for her Crocs sandals. She picked out one package at $9.99 and one at $2.49 and had to stop at that point because if she added another one, the sales tax would put her over the $15 limit. As I turned to my wife to ask whether she thought we should cover the tax so she could get another package (I struggle with my own discipline at times. Okay, all the time.), G skipped off toward the checkout register, happy as could be and not concerned that she wasn’t getting her full $15 worth.
Setting ground rules, applying them consistently, and talking through the reasons behind them with kids makes it possible for the kids to learn self-discipline so that parents don’t have to apply discipline quite so often. Rather than returning home with parents irritated and kid disappointed, we all came home feeling like we had a fun family outing.
Raising Funds for Sports and Hobbies August 20, 2008
Posted by Tracy Gullett in Responsibility, Sports & Hobbies.add a comment
There is some great advice for hobbyists over at Get Rich Slowly today. It got me thinking about the hobbies and extra-curricular activities kids – particularly tweens and teens – get involved with and how expensive they can be. Whether competitive sports like gymnastics, hockey and go-kart racing, or hobbies such as R/C cars, model airplanes and rockets, when we find something our children really seem to enjoy, we want to do all we can to feed their enthusiasm.
Now, I’m all for parents footing the bill for the entry-level sports. When single-digit-aged kids are trying different sports, musical instruments, and other activities to see what they might like, we should try to provide that opportunity. What kid is going to get intense about earning money to play a sport they might not know anything about?
We may be doing a disservice to our older kids, however, if we don’t involve them in the financial aspect of a more advanced or competitive hobby or sport. These activities offer an opportunity to teach our kids methods they can use as adults to finance pursuits about which they are passionate, such as the photography example in the GRS article. We don’t need to reinforce a sense of entitlement by paying their way forever. This is a great opportunity for your kids to develop their interpersonal communication, presentation, and persuasion skills.
Kids don’t have to wait for someone else to come up with a fundraising campaign and they certainly don’t need to go from door-to-door begging people to help them out. Turn their entrepreneurial side loose and help them create a funding strategy. Of course, if they are representing an organization like a sports team or school, they should always present their ideas for approval prior to implementing them.
Here are a few fundraising ideas. If you have others, leave a comment or send me an e-mail!
Work for It
Find jobs to do within your household or in your neighborhood. Offer to clear the weeds out of the neighbors’ landscaping (be sure to have the neighbors define “weeds” before starting). Cut grass, wash windows, or clean out garages. Seasonal employment or extra hours if they already have a job are some more traditional ways to earn some extra cash.
Sell a Quality Product
The girls’ volleyball team in our school district just came by last week selling discount cards for local businesses. We already patronize these businesses, and the cards were of real value to us. Make it something of value, though. Don’t come to my door selling magazines I don’t want for a higher price than I would pay through a direct subscription. In the case of a craft hobby, some of the products created can be sold to raise money as well.
Community Sponsorship
Many local businesses want to support local youth groups and individuals. It helps them promote their involvement in the community and makes their customers feel better about doing business with them. A screenprinting shop, for example, could provide some or all uniforms for your group – with their logo placed prominently. In exchange for their sponsorship, though, they expect quality representation. Those uniforms should be neat and clean at the start of each event. Also, kids should only propose sponsorship arrangements with businesses and organizations that they and their parents believe in and would recommend even if the businesses weren’t providing support.
Product Promotion/Advertising
Whereas sponsorship tends to target other competitors and their families that attend local events, some higher-profile events that attract larger crowds can attract more traditional advertisers. If you’re involved in racing, a local body shop may want you to display a banner in your pit area promoting their painting and lettering services. This type of cash advertising can apply to any spectator-driven event.
